Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Dakota and Lakota Youths Run to DC -- 'Run for Our Water'

Runners in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday (Photo courtesy Bold Iowa)

Bobbi Jean Three Legs addressing the crowd in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, with a message for President Obama and the Army Corps of Engineers about stopping the Bakken Pipeline. (Photo courtesy Bold Iowa.)

We are a group of young people from the Oceti Sakowin Nation taking a stand to be the voice for our community, for our great grandparents, and for Mother Earth.

Since our petition launched, three months ago, we’ve started a movement of almost 140,000 people demanding that the Army Corps of Engineers deny a permit for the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline through our Missouri River. Our campaign has been so successful, but it’s not enough: construction has already begun on the pipeline.

We want to take this campaign to Washington D.C., straight to the doorstep of the Army Corps of Engineers’ headquarters and the White House – and we plan to run there. We’ll be using this 2,000-mile relay run to elevate our campaign into national awareness by connecting with other youth groups along the way, and working hard to get more supporters. Decision makers can’t ignore 140,000 signatures left on their doorstep, especially when we’ve traveled so far to deliver them.

If the Dakota Access Pipeline is built through the Missouri River, it risks our health and our water. This summer, we’re running for our lives. Support us by donating to our Relay Run fund, by running with us or by hosting our runners in your city. We’ll be posting the list of destination cities soon!

NATIVE YOUTH RUNNERS CHALLENGE PRESIDENT OBAMARelay run of 2,000 miles to D.C. opposes Bakken Pipeline

Des Moines, IA — At 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 23 in front of the Neal Smith Federal Building, 210 Walnut Street in Des Moines, Lakota and Dakota youth on a 2,000-mile relay-run to Washington, D.C. will hold a rally and protest to challenge President Obama and the Army Corps of Engineers to take action to stop the Bakken Pipeline. (See their promotional video here.)

Thirty-one young people from the Oceti Sakowin lands in North Dakota are running through Iowa July 19-25, roughly following the path of the Bakken pipeline. They will arrive in Washington, D.C. on August 5 and deliver over 140,000 signatures (people wishing to sign the petition can do so here) against the Bakken Pipeline to the Army Corps of Engineers. They also will rally in front of the White House, calling on President Obama to tell the Corps that a full Environmental Impact Statement is needed to show the harmful impact of the pipeline on their native lands and waters.

“In May, we led a relay race over 500 miles to deliver signatures to the Army Corps of Engineers in Omaha,” said Bobbi Jean Three Legs, one of the organizers. “Young people from across the Oceti Sakowin lands and non-Native youth ran over eight days through South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa, from reservation to reservation, through small towns and bigger cities along the Missouri River. Corps officials listened, but they still haven’t stopped the pipeline. We are now taking our message all the way to Washington, to the Corps’ headquarters there and to President Obama, to tell them to put an end to this act of aggression against our people, our land, our water and our future.”

“The passion and commitment of these tireless young people is contagious,” said Bold Iowa director Ed Fallon. “Their message is being well-received across Iowa, where 74% of us oppose the use of eminent domain to build the Bakken Pipeline. We hope their message is equally well-received by President Obama and the Army Corps of Engineers.”

Bold Iowa is part of the national Bold Alliance, now in five states and building new alliances to fight fossil-fuel infrastructure expansion projects and promote renewable energy. Visit www.boldnebraska.org/tag/bold-alliance.

Oceti Sakowin Youth and Allies calls on the Army Corps of Engineers and President Obama to stop construction of the Bakken Pipeline because it will cause harm to the great people of this nation whose water and livelihood depends on the Missouri River.'Stop the Dakota Access

Photos above Joye Braun

Day 7 of our run!

Anna Lee, Bobbi Jean & the Oceti Sakowin Youth

Fort Yates, ND

JUL 21, 2016 — Today is Day 7 of our run and we are in high spirits! We’ve passed through South Dakota, and are making our way through Iowa. Some days are tough in this summer heat, so we work to care for each other and make sure everyone is drinking enough water and staying healthy.

This Saturday July 23rd at 11 am, we’ll be taking part in a rally in Des Moines, Iowa. If you are in the area come join us! We’ll be meeting at the Neal Smith Federal Building, on 210 Walnut Street. You can read more about the event here: http://bit.ly/2ad8Oht

If you would like to learn more about our journey, take a look at this video we’ve made or check out the #RezpectOurWater hashtag on Facebook. We’ll send more updates soon!

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Censored News was created in 2006 in response to censorship by Indian Country Today. Longtime ICT staff writer Brenda Norrell was censored repeatedly, and terminated in 2006. Now in its 11th year, with more than 13 million views, Censored News publishes a collective of Indigenous and other grassroots writers focused on human rights. Censored News is a media whistleblower site. Censored News has no grants, sponsors or advertising. It is totally reader supported. brendanorrell@gmail.com